Adjustable wine shelf

ABSTRACT

A wine rack assembly designed to hold a multiple of wine bottles horizontally in uniform positions utilizing three lateral wood racks, notched and positioned in tandem front-to-rear, supporting a range of bottle content sizes of approximately 750 ML to 1.5 L, being supported at the bottlenecks and at the largest sidewall diameters of the bottles by the racks notched for each bottle position. The assembly can be installed into space enclosures ranging in size from 10½×32 inches to 12×48 inches enabled by a lateral adjustment mechanism, comprised of sliding sub-assemblies, and depth adjustment comprised of a provision to cut the length of the perpendicular support pieces at the rear of the assembly during installation to fit the depth of an enclosure. Production encompasses standard woodworking equipment and joinery techniques.

The adjustable wine shelf is a wine rack assembly designed to beinstalled as a shelf into existing space enclosures ranging in size from10 1/2×32 inches to 12×48 inches. One or more bottles of wine, rangingin content size from approximately 750 ML to 1.5 L, can be storedhorizontally in uniform positions, held and supported by three parallelracks, notched for bottle positions, connected laterally onto supportand adjustment assemblies described in item 3. below. Three racks areconfigured to hold and support a majority of bottles in the above sizesat bottlenecks (smallest sidewall diameters) and at the bodies (largestsidewall diameters) as described below:

1. The Front Rack, (designated by Ref. No. 10 in the Table of Componentsin Drawings, page 3-3), consists of a wood board measuring 3 1/2×32× 3/4inches that is notched uniformly with circular aspect cuts a depth of3/8 inch, using a 1 7/8 inch radius circular cutter, to holdbottlenecks. The Front Rack, in conjunction with the Second and ThirdRacks, holds bottles in parallel positions horizontally with bottleneckspositioned outward at the front of the assembly. The Front Rack has aflat outward front surface that enables grapevine designs to be craftedat the front of the assembly. The rear of the Front Rack is machinedlaterally end-to-end with a 1×13/16×5/16 inch, 14-degree dovetail cut toaccommodate a sliding dovetail piece connected to a sliding SupportSub-Assembly described in item number 3. below. A 14-degree DovetailSlide Stop (designated by Ref. No. 112 in the Table of Components, page3-3) measuring 1×13/16×5/16×1 1/2 inches long, is assembled and glued tothe right and left lateral ends of the corresponding dovetail cut at therear of the Front Rack to restrict sliding motion of right and leftSupport Sub-Assemblies (Ref. Nos. 125A and 127A described in item 3.below) to 8 inches.

2. Second and Third Racks (designated by Ref. No.120 in the Table ofComponents in Drawings, page 3-3), consist of two wood boards measuring2 1/2×30 1/2× 3/4 inches each, notched uniformly with a circular aspectcuts a depth of 3/8 inch using a four-inch radius circular cutter tohold bottles at the largest sidewall diameters. Horizontal storage isenabled by the height of the racks and the depth and radii of the bottlenotches. The front rack, with a board height of 3 1/2 inches and 3/8inch deep bottle notch circular aspect cuts using a 1 7/8 inch radiuscircular cutter, holds the bottlenecks at an elevated position relativeto the Second and Third Racks that have board heights of 2 1/2 inches,bottle notch circular aspect cuts to depths of 3/8 inch using a 4-inchradius cutter. Bottle notch centerlines are parallel in the First,Second, and Third Racks at placement of 3 3/4 inches center-to-center tomaintain straight, uniform positions of bottles. The rear of the Secondand Third Racks is machined laterally end-to-end with a 1×13/16×5/16inch, 14-degree dovetail cut to facilitate connection and movement ofsliding dovetail pieces attached to sliding Support Sub-Assembliesdescribed in item 3. below. A 14-degree Dovetail Slide Stop (designatedby Ref. No.122 in the Table of Components in Drawings, page 3-3)measuring 1×13/16×5/16× 3/4 inches long is assembled and glued at eachlateral end of corresponding dovetail cuts at the rear of the Second andThird Racks to restrict sliding motion to 8 inches of the right and leftSupport Sub-Assemblies (designated by Ref. Nos. 125A and 127Arespectively) described in item 3. below.

3. The adjustable wine shelf lateral extension feature (adjustinglateral widths of the assembly from 32-48 inches) is enabled by rightand left sliding Support Sub-Assemblies connected to each of three wineracks by sliding dovetail pieces that slide within a dovetail groovemachined into the rear of each rack. Support Sub-Assemblies for theFront Rack are designated by Ref. Nos. 117A and 115A in the Table ofComponents in Drawings, page 3-3) respectively for the right and leftlateral sides of the assembly. Front Rack Support Sub-Assemblies eachconsist of a board measuring 3×16× 3/4 inches with a 14-degree slidingdovetail piece measuring 1×13/16×3/8×6 1/2 inches glued to the front ofeach board at the inboard end of each Support Sub-Assembly to slidewithin and connect to a corresponding machined dovetail cut at the rearof the Front Rack. Each right and left Support Sub-Assembly is connectedto a perpendicular right and left Side Mounting Support (designated byRef. Nos. 137 and 135 respectively) with a wood glued joint utilizingtwo 5/16× 1/2 inch Dowel Pins (Ref. No. 138) at lateral ends of theassembly. Side Mounting Supports 137 and 135 connect the adjustable wineshelf assembly in a compartment or enclosure using brackets connected tothe walls of an enclosure, which brackets are commonly used insupporting shelves in bookcases and other enclosures.

4. The depth adjustment feature (adjusting to the depth of compartmentor enclosure from 10 1/2 to 12 inches) is enabled by the installer ofthe assembly cutting the rear right and left ends of the Side MountingSupport pieces (designated by Ref. Nos. 137 and 135 respectively),removing up to 1 1/2 inches from the rear extensions of the left andright Side Mounting Supports to fit into a compartment or enclosure.

5. Production of the adjustable wine shelf is facilitated with standardmachine tools and joinery techniques as well as project specific cuttingjigs, drill guides and component assembly techniques commonly devised inwoodworking.

DRAWINGS

Drawings illustrated on three sheets encompassing five views and a tableof components.

Drawings depict the following:

FIG. 1—Assembled View—A shaded drawing that depicts the adjustable wineshelf assembled, viewing it from the top/front angle. The assembly ispartially extended to illustrate how the unit can be adjusted laterallyto fit and be installed into enclosures of variable sizes. Viewillustrates the relationship of three wine racks to hold bottlesuniformly with bottlenecks positioned to the front. The front rack holdsbottlenecks with the smallest radii bottle notches. The two rear racksare notched to hold the body of bottles at the largest sidewalldiameters.

FIG. 2—Exploded View—Illustrates the components and sub-assemblies ofthe adjustable wine shelf in positions as they correspond inrelationships to the whole unit. Components and sub-assemblies aredesignated with number/letter designations that are named on page 3-3 inthe “Table of Components in Drawings”.

FIG. 3—Top View—Depicts top view of assembled unit partially extendedlaterally. View illustrates joinery positions of components andsub-assemblies at assembly.

FIG. 4—End View—From front angle, view illustrates assembled positionsof Front Rack (Ref. No. 110) in relationship to second and third racks(Ref. No. 120) with hidden line.

FIG. 5—Side View—From side angle, view illustrates component joinerypositions of Side Mounting Support, Right (Ref. No. 137) dovetailjoinery to Front Rack Right Support to Sub-assembly (Ref. No. 117A andSide Mounting Support, Right (Ref. No. 137 dowel pin joineries toSecond/Third Rack Right Support Sub-Assemblies (Ref. No. 125A). Leftside version of same joinery schematic is applied at Side MountingSupport, Left (Ref. No. 135) not shown.

1. An adjustable wine shelf comprised of a wine rack assembly that canstore multiple bottles of wine in bookshelf units, cabinets, or otherenclosures installed as a shelf utilizing shelf brackets commonly usedin supporting bookshelves to support the wine shelf assembly.
 2. Aconfiguration of three racks that hold wine bottles horizontally inuniform parallel positions, which racks are configured to supportbottlenecks (smallest sidewall diameters) as well as the bodies (largestsidewall diameters) of bottles ranging in content sizes of approximately750 ML to 1.5 L, notched with circular aspect cuts in diameters to fitcorresponding bottleneck and body of bottles with notched cutcenterlines aligned in tandem front to rear for each bottle position. 3.An adjustment mechanism comprised of sliding sub-assemblies, connectedto the wine racks, to extend or contract the lateral right and leftsides of the assembly to fit and be supported in compartments orenclosures of varying lateral widths.
 4. Perpendicular right and leftSide Mounting Supports, connected to the outward lateral ends of thewine shelf assembly, that enable the wine shelf assembly to fit and bemounted as a shelf onto sidewalls of corresponding compartments orenclosures during installation utilizing shelf brackets installed ontothe right and left sidewalls of a compartment or enclosure.
 5. Provisionto shorten right and left Side Mounting Supports, enabled by extendedlengths of the Side Mounting Supports beyond the rear position of theThird Rack and the body of the wine shelf assembly, to fit compartmentsor enclosures of varying depths.
 6. Provision for grape vine carvings oretchings to be crafted onto the front of the adjustable wine shelfassembly enabled by a Front Rack board height dimension and positions ofthe bottle notches.